Greg Stumbohttp://wkyufm.org
enStumbo Backing Medical Marijuana Bill http://wkyufm.org/post/stumbo-backing-medical-marijuana-bill
<p></p><p>Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo is sponsoring a bill that would make it legal for people to smoke marijuana in Kentucky for medical purposes.</p><p>The measure would require doctors to be trained before they could prescribe the drug to patients, and Stumbo said the state would have a strict oversight system in place to make sure prescriptions were not abused.</p><p>Kentucky lawmakers have softened their stance toward the cannabis plant in recent years. Last year, the state harvested its first hemp crop in decades and the state Legislature approved a bill allowing researchers to conduct medical experiments with cannabis extract.</p><p>Stumbo said he filed the bill because he believes lawmakers need to discuss the medical marijuana issue.Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:28:15 +0000Associated Press58681 at http://wkyufm.orgStumbo Backing Medical Marijuana Bill Lexington Selected To Host SLC Meetings in 2016http://wkyufm.org/post/lexington-selected-host-slc-meetings-2016
<p>A four-day event that is expected to generate $2 million for the local economy is coming to Lexington in the summer of 2016. &nbsp;<br /><br />The Southern Legislative Conference has announced its 70<sup>th</sup> annual meeting will be held in Kentucky July 16-20 of 2016. It’s the largest regional meeting of state officials.<br /><br />The Lexington conference will come in the same year Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers will be serving as chairman of the SLC. Stivers, along with House Speaker Greg Stumbo are co-chairs of the planning committee for the 2016 meeting.&nbsp;<br /><br />Tue, 14 Oct 2014 16:30:10 +0000WKU Public Radio News55164 at http://wkyufm.orgLexington Selected To Host SLC Meetings in 2016Kentucky GOP Unveils "Handshake with Kentucky" Planhttp://wkyufm.org/post/kentucky-gop-unveils-handshake-kentucky-plan
<p></p><p>The Republican Party of Kentucky has a wish-list of legislative priorities ready to go if the State House were to flip and come under Republican control following this fall's elections.</p><p>The party unveiled its plan, dubbed &nbsp;"Handshake with Kentucky," on Tuesday. It consists of legislative priorities for the state GOP, pending potential victories come Election Day. Currently, Democrats maintain a narrow eight-seat margin in the state's lower chamber.</p><p>In a statement, House GOP Floor Leader lambasted House Democrats over poor leadership.</p><p>“For far too long, the majority leadership of the House of Representatives has made empty promises,” Hoover said in a statement. “Democrats in Frankfort have failed to achieve meaningful results on behalf of families and local businesses, and the current leadership in the House of Representatives has squandered real opportunities while surrounding states prosper."</p><p>The plan will include:Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:30:47 +0000Jonathan Meador53432 at http://wkyufm.orgKentucky GOP Unveils "Handshake with Kentucky" PlanHoover: Kentucky Internet Woes Could Be Helped By Stalled Legislationhttp://wkyufm.org/post/hoover-kentucky-internet-woes-could-be-helped-stalled-legislation
<p>A recent survey shows Kentucky ranks near the bottom when it comes to average Internet speed. One Kentucky lawmaker says a bill that passed with bi-partisan support the Senate, but languished in the House, could help boost access to broadband. &nbsp;<br /><br />Republican Floor Leader Jeff Hoover says Senate Bill 99 would have reduced companies’ obligation to provide traditional landline service to some areas of Kentucky, freeing them up to invest in broadband.<br /><br />“Speaker[Greg] Stumbo made a commitment last summer that that bill would be voted on. He indicated he did not support it, but he would allow it to be voted upon this past legislation session,” said Hoover.<br /><br />The bill was approved by the Kentucky Senate on a 34-4 vote, but was not put up for a full vote in the House. &nbsp;The Jamestown Rep. says the bill was changed this year to reduce the number of residents whose traditional landline service might be affected. He says it would have been less than 5,000 households.</p><p>“But the important thing was, it would have allowed AT&amp;T and some others to move forward on their hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in infrastructure to better serve those exact areas,” said Hoover.<br /><br />Critics object to the part of the bill that lets phone companies cut back on the areas in which they’re required to provide landline telephone service.<br />Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:42:33 +0000Emil Moffatt53198 at http://wkyufm.orgHoover: Kentucky Internet Woes Could Be Helped By Stalled LegislationYarmuth, State Lawmakers Rally To Raise Minimum Wage http://wkyufm.org/post/yarmuth-state-lawmakers-rally-raise-minimum-wage
<p>Democratic U.S. Congressman John Yarmuth led a rally in Louisville Monday to advocate a raise in the federal minimum wage. The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office is reviewing whether cities like Louisville can do it on their own without federal or state legislation.<br /><br />&nbsp;“It is critical that we keep the House in Democratic hands, or all of our progressive values will be gone,” said Louisville state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian.<br /><br />She cosponsored a bill in the General Assembly this year that mirrors a federal effort to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10. It passed the House along largely party lines, but died in the GOP-controlled Senate.</p><p>Despite her rhetoric that the issue is contingent upon keeping her Democratic Party in control of the state House, where it maintains a narrow eight-seat advantage, the Kentucky Attorney General is reviewing whether or not cities like Louisville can pass their own minimum wage laws.</p><p>A spokesman for the AG’s office said they are requesting input from the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office toward this end, but did not say when an official opinion will be issued.<br />Mon, 04 Aug 2014 19:02:31 +0000Jonathan Meador52084 at http://wkyufm.orgYarmuth, State Lawmakers Rally To Raise Minimum Wage Kentucky Speaker: Local Option Sales Tax is Focushttp://wkyufm.org/post/kentucky-speaker-local-option-sales-tax-focus
<p>Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo says House Democrats' top priority for the 2015 legislative session could be letting local governments temporarily raise taxes to pay for large construction projects.<br /><br />Stumbo had previously said the House would focus on legalizing casino style gambling in Kentucky, an issue pushed by the state's formidable horse racing industry and its popular Democratic governor.<br /><br />But that changed when Churchill Downs, Louisville's iconic horse racing track, donated money to a political action committee dedicated to electing Republicans to the state legislature. Democrats have an eight-seat majority in the House, one of the last Democratic-controlled state legislative bodies in the south.<br /><br />The local option sales tax would let local governments impose a temporary 1 percent sales tax to pay for large projects. Voters would have to approve the tax first.<br />Wed, 30 Jul 2014 20:24:59 +0000Associated Press51873 at http://wkyufm.orgKentucky Speaker: Local Option Sales Tax is FocusKentucky's Democratic, GOP Legislative Leaders Unite Against New EPA Regulationshttp://wkyufm.org/post/kentuckys-democratic-gop-legislative-leaders-unite-against-new-epa-regulations
<p></p><p>Kentucky’s two top-ranking lawmakers have &nbsp;some choice words about new coal emissions regulations announced this week by the Environmental Protection Agency.</p><p>Republican Senate President Robert Stivers and Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo are slamming the proposed rules, which will cut carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent by the year 2030.&nbsp; .</p><p>“You can’t formulate energy policy for a growing country like ours, if you’re not going to consider, as part of that solution, your most abundant resource," Stumbo said. "It doesn’t make any sense at all, it’s a dumbass thing to do, and you can quote me on that.”</p><p>Stumbo added that he didn’t think that the rules will affect the outcome of the November House elections, where Democrats hope to retain a narrow majority over Republicans.</p><p>The regulations are subject to public input and will be officially enacted a year from now.Thu, 05 Jun 2014 13:20:35 +0000Jonathan Meador49106 at http://wkyufm.orgKentucky's Democratic, GOP Legislative Leaders Unite Against New EPA RegulationsHumane Society Urges Stumbo to Bolster Kentucky's Cockfighting Laws http://wkyufm.org/post/humane-society-urges-stumbo-bolster-kentuckys-cockfighting-laws
<p>The Humane Society of the United States is calling on House Speaker Greg Stumbo to strengthen the state’s cockfighting laws.&nbsp; The request from Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle comes after a cockfighting ring was recently busted in McDowell, Kentucky. Three of Stumbo's distant relatives are accused of running the operation.&nbsp; John Goodwin is the director of animal-cruelty policy at the Humane Society.<br /><br />“Kentucky has one of the weakest cockfighting laws in the nation. The USDA’s affidavit said that is why people were coming from so many other states to the cockfights,” said Goodwin. “This is a lose-lose for animals and Kentucky’s communities, because this law is so weak it’s attracting this criminal element to Kentucky. They need to make it a felony, turn off the magnet and keep these criminals and animal abusers away from Kentucky.”</p><p>Kentucky is one of only nine states where cockfighting isn't a felony offense. It carries a misdemeanor charge in Kentucky, even though attending a fight is now a federal felony.<br />Thu, 08 May 2014 23:29:52 +0000Jonathan Meador47774 at http://wkyufm.orgHumane Society Urges Stumbo to Bolster Kentucky's Cockfighting Laws Now That Conway's In, Who Else Might Run for Kentucky Governor?http://wkyufm.org/post/now-conways-who-else-might-run-kentucky-governor
<p></p><p>The list of confirmed 2015 Kentucky candidates for governor grew Tuesday, when Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway <a href="http://wkyufm.org/post/its-official-jack-conway-will-run-governor-2015" target="_blank">announced he was running </a>for the office.</p><p>He joins Republican and former Louisville Metro Council member Hal Heiner, <a href="http://wkyufm.org/post/heiner-kicking-2015-kentucky-governors-race" target="_blank">who announced earlier this year</a> his gubernatorial bid.</p><p>Kentucky political observers will now turn their attention on a handful of other potential candidates for governor.</p><p>Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo has said he is strongly considering a run for Governor, but only if Democrats hang on to their majority in the state House.</p><p>Stumbo was the running mate for gubernatorial candidate Bruce Lundsford in 2007, a ticket that lost the primary to Steve Beshear and Daniel Mongiardo.</p><p>Other potential Democratic 2015 candidates include state Auditor Adam Edelen and former U.S. Congressman Ben Chandler, who is currently executive director of the Kentucky Humanities Council.</p><p>Former state Auditor Crit Luallen announced last month that she won’t run for governor.</p><p>On the Republican side, the most high-profile would-be candidate appears to be Agriculture Commissioner and Monroe County farmer <a href="http://wkyufm.org/post/james-comer-proud-and-after-picture-kentuckys-agriculture-department" target="_blank">James Comer</a>.Tue, 06 May 2014 22:42:23 +0000Kevin Willis47666 at http://wkyufm.orgNow That Conway's In, Who Else Might Run for Kentucky Governor?Paul: Increasing Minimum Wage Would Hurt "Minorities and Kids"http://wkyufm.org/post/paul-increasing-minimum-wage-would-hurt-minorities-and-kids
<p>Senator Rand Paul says raising the minimum wage would negatively impact job prospects for minorities and children.</p><p><a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/rand-paul/2014/04/28/rand-paul-west-end-knocks-minimum-wage-hike/8421717/" target="_blank">The Courier-Journal reports</a> that while speaking Monday night to a group of business owners and officials in Louisville, Sen. Paul said Congress could help the poor and unemployed by cutting corporate and personal income taxes in struggling areas.</p><p>The Bowling Green Republican has introduced a bill that would create what he calls “economic freedom zones” in zip codes where at least one-quarter of the residents live at or below the poverty line.</p><p>That move comes amid a debate at both the federal and state governmental levels over whether the minimum wage should be hiked. Congress is considering whether to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.</p><p>Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo <a href="http://wkyufm.org/post/stumbo-advocates-higher-minimum-wage-kentucky" target="_blank">sponsored legislation</a> this year that would have increased the state’s minimum wage to that same level over the course of three years.Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:16:08 +0000WKU Public Radio News47302 at http://wkyufm.org